2014-03-09: Sunday of Orthodoxy

Post date: Jan 25, 2015 2:56:18 AM

On Sunday, March 9, 2014, we celebrate Sunday of Orthodoxy.All Church School students will participate in a special procession that brings icons back into the Church.

Church School students in Grades 1-12 will bring an icon from home to carry during the procession.

Our Church School will supply our younger students in Preschool and Kindergarten with paper icons to prevent possible accidents. The Church School office has extra paper icons for this purpose.

IMPORTANT DETAILS

=================

After Holy Communion our Church School students should go to their classrooms as we do every Sunday.

Teachers will describe the procession and get the students ready. Students should hold icons up at chest level with both hands and with proper respect.

Timing:

    • Church School students will enter the church and start the procession right after the passing of the tray. This means that the procession of icons will take place after Holy Communion and before the final dismissal at the end of the Liturgy.

    • Directors will let each classroom know when to line up in the corridor in preparation to enter the Church.

    • Directors will also let the procession know when to enter the Church depending on when Fr. Nick is ready.

Order:

    • Fr. Nick would like the order of the procession this year to be different from last year.

    • Students and teachers will line up with the older children in front. Younger students will follow.

    • VERY IMPORTANT: Students should line up and walk *in pairs*. Otherwise, the procession line becomes so long that it does not fit inside the church. This can be a problem.

    • Dani Nadra (if available) will be in front to lead the procession. (Thanks Dani!)

    • IMPORTANT: The final order of the procession will be: Dani (in the front), Church School students, altar boys, Fr. Nick (in the back).

Procession:

    • At the start of the procession our students will enter the church from the narthex through the right door.

    • They will walk towards the solea down the right middle-aisle (on the social hall side).

    • They will make a left turn right after the front pews and walk in front of the solea

    • They will make a left turn and walk back towards the narthex through the middle-aisle on the parking lot side.

    • They will make a left turn behind the pews and continue walking to complete a great circle.

    • Church School students will turn left and enter the right middle-aisle (again) and continue walking so as to allow room behind them for the altar boys to join the procession.

    • The altar boys will exit through the left altar door and join the procession *behind* the church school students.

    • Fr. Nick will join the procession last.

    • The whole procession will continue walking until Fr. Nick is half-way down the middle-aisle (on the parking lot side) where he will stop for the first petition.

    • Fr. Nick will stop four times for petitions:

      • (a) halfway down the middle-aisle (on the parking lot side),

      • (b) in front of the center doors (from the narthex to the church) (*),

      • (c) halfway up the middle-aisle (on the social hall side), and then

      • (d) on the solea.

    • (*) IMPORTANT: After we say the petitions at the second stop (at the center doors from the narthex to the church) and start walking again, *all* Church School students should proceed *directly* onto the solea. Teachers should help organize the students by height so they will face the congregation and be ready for the fourth petitions on the solea.

    • Students will stay on the solea until the service is complete.

At the end of the service Fr. Nick will direct the students to return to their classrooms to resume classes.

There should be 30-40 minutes of class time available.